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You try to install third-party printer drivers for cross-architecture support in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008. After you do this, you may be prompted for the location of the Windows printing components for the third-party printer drivers. The message indicates that the printer drivers that are being installed are incomplete and that the missing drivers must be added.

This issue occurs because the missing components are part of the Windows operating system and not part of the third-party printer drivers. These missing components are part of a Windows operating system that uses another architecture. These components are not available in the current operating system. They must be obtained from a Windows-based computer that is running the relevant architecture.

On the computer that will act as the print server, follow these steps:

Install the printer driver as usual.

Right-click the new printer for which you want to install a new cross-architecture driver, click Run as administrator, and then click Properties.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

Click the Advanced tab, and then click New Driver.

In the Add Printer Driver Wizard, click Next.

Check both architectures for the driver, choose the driver from the Driver list, click Next, and then click Finish.

You receive a dialog box that prompts you to point to the driver package. Click Browse to locate the share that you created in step #1b, and then locate the package for that manufacturer.

Note Inbox driver packages are named prn**NNN.inf_HHHHHH, where ** is a manufacturer code. For example, Canon is ca and Hewlett-Packard is hp. To confirm that you have found the correct package, locate the INF file in the directory, look for the [Manufacturer] section, and then look for the correct model name in the model section. When you have selected the correct package, click OK.

When you are prompted for the location of the ntprint.inf file, locate the share that you created in step 1b, click ntprint.inf_HHHHH, and then click OK. If multiple copies exist, choose the one with the most recent modified date.

Method 2: If you must install the driver

Note These steps are similar to Method 1 with minor variations.

Install downloaded drivers on the cross-architecture computer.

Start Windows explorer. Paste the following path in the address bar, and then press ENTER:

On the computer that will act as the print server, follow these steps:

Install the printer driver as usual.

Right-click the new printer for which you want to install a new cross-architecture driver, click Run as administrator, and then click Properties.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.

Click the Advanced tab, and then click New Driver.

In the Add Printer Driver Wizard, click Next.

Check both architectures for the driver, choose the driver from the Driver list, click Next, and then click Finish.

You receive a dialog box that prompts you to point to the driver package. Click Browse to locate the share that you created in step #1b, and then sort by modified date. Typically, this driver should be the most recently modified driver. Select that driver, and then click OK.

To confirm that you have found the correct package, locate the INF file in the directory, look for the [Manufacturer] section, and then look for the correct model name in the model section. When you have selected the correct package, click OK.

When you are prompted for the location of the ntprint.inf file, locate the share that you created in step 1b, click ntprint.inf_HHHHH, and then click OK. If multiple copies exist, choose the one with the most recent modified date.